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Impressive stonework in the two towers' interior. |
Medieval religious paintings adorn some of the huge supporting columns. |
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A rainy mist swirled around the cathedral as we made out way back down the hill
to the Old Town. We passed the Diocesan Museum, housed in a building that dates
back to 1544. It has an impressive religious art collection. Unfortunately it
was closed that day, so we put it on our list for "next time." Limburg is worth
returning to, particularly on a sunny day.
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| A welcome change in the weather today; it was sunny with beautiful clouds!. I sent off some email in the morning and then we spent the rest of the day at Burg Rheinfels high above the town. We boarded the "elephant train" which leaves every 35-40 minutes from the entrance of Heerstrasse, and rode through the town and up the steep hill to the castle. Built in 1245, It was the most powerful fortress in the whole Rhine valley. The castle threw back the assaults of Louis XIV and other invaders until it fell in 1797. when the French revolutionary army finally destroyed it. Today it's an impressive ruin, but still fun to explore with its maze of towers, gates, courts and casemates. | |
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We were very fortunate that today they were having a "castle market" and Knights' Tournament. Everyone (aside from visitors) were attired in medieval costumes. The many tent booths featured food, beer, crafts and souvenirs, and there were strolling entertainers, clowns and jugglers as well. We followed a crowd who were entering a cavernous cellar, about sixty feet wide. Steep stone steps went down to where rows of benches were placed in front of a stage where costumed performers were playing ancient instruments in a very different kind of concert. After the benches filled the crowd stoood on either side of the seated audience, while many others simply sat on the stone steps leading down into the cellar. |
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The performers also did some choral numbers which were quite good. At the
conclusion of the concert, we noticed some of the audience entered a narrow
opening in the rock walls in a corner of the cellar. We said, "What the heck,"
and followed them into the opening. The passage was unlighted and after about
twenty feet it narrowed to a point where I could barely squeeze through the
rock opening. "What am I getting into." I asked myself. A short distance on I
could see daylight and the exit from the stone passange. We emerged on a lower
level of the castle ruins. As it turned out we had reached the Knights'
Tournament area, which was laid out at the base of a high castle wall. |
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A knight, who was later dubbed the "drinking knight" in the show, waited patiently for his horse to be readied for the Tourney. |
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And now, it's showtime! The horses and knights proceeded into the arena area. Stirring music began to play as a handsome six foot "Lord of the Castle" strode to the center and began explaining the tourney, and exhorting the crowd (and particularly the children) to loudly boo or cheer the villains and heroes. He led a grand procession of foot soldiers around the arena and it was readily apparent who were the good guys and who were the villains in this piece. Then the knights (all four of them-it was not a Broadway production, folks) paraded around the ring. When the parade of knights and foot soldiers ended, led of course by our handsome Lord, it was time for the action to begin. |
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